


Time to Pretend

by sisteroftime



Category: Wizards of Waverly Place
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, Incest, Light-Hearted, Love Confessions, Magic, Pining, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29936745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisteroftime/pseuds/sisteroftime
Summary: Alex decides to use the magic marker to erase her feelings for Justin, but she accidentally erases all of her love for him, including platonic love.
Relationships: Alex Russo/Justin Russo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Time to Pretend

"Hey, Alex?”

Alex didn’t look up from her phone when Justin walked into the Sub Station.

“Come to make fun of me for that embarrassing stunt at the game?” she asked.

She didn’t remember anything from when she’d been under the spell of the magic marker, but she’d heard plenty about it from Harper, George, her parents, Max, and anyone else who had borne witness to her tragic display of positivity. Justin was the only one she hadn’t heard any shit from yet.

“Why, did you want me to?” Justin sat down beside her. “I mean, it was kind of a bummer when you started cheering for the other team, but it’s not any worse than anything you’ve done without being under a spell.”

Alex chuckled. “Okay, good point.”

“Anyway, I actually wanted to thank you,” Justin said. “I know you don’t remember anything you did yesterday, and you weren’t yourself when you did it, but it was really nice hearing you cheer for me. I wouldn’t have done so well on the court if it weren’t for you, and even though we lost, the team respects me now. So, thank you.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize I had that much power over you,” Alex said. “If I boo you during a test, will you fail?” She gasped. “I could totally ruin your academic standing.”

“You’re being extra mean to make up for yesterday, aren’t you?” Justin asked, the corner of his mouth twisting up into a crooked smile.

Alex stared for a moment. She’d expected sternness from him, a lecture about using magic responsibly, or maybe neutrality at best, but this lightheartedness took her by surprise. That _smile_ took her by surprise, and she quickly cleared her throat and looked away in a poor attempt to appear inconspicuous.

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, I mean...what I heard in the background of the video Max took? Disgusting. I feel dirty; gotta wash all that positivity away, you know?” Alex got up and slipped her phone into her pocket. “Well, I have homework to do, so I’m gonna…do that.”

Alex could feel Justin’s eyes on her back as she jogged upstairs, but he didn’t stop her, so she wasn’t going to complain. She just couldn’t be around him right now.

She sank onto her bed after shutting her door and covered her face with her pillow. Why was life so unfair? Every boy she’d ever liked ended badly. Hell, the last one turned into a wolf, and George—a nice, simple guy? Even he couldn’t stand her for who she was.

None of it would even matter if she weren’t in love with Justin. If she didn’t need to shove her feelings on anyone else who had the potential to hold them, she wouldn’t care nearly as much when those relationships failed.

Justin. She lived with him; she couldn’t escape him to find time to get over her feelings. She’d been trying to look for flaws in him to give her a reason not to want him, but there was nothing there. Anything she would normally consider a flaw was endearing when it came to him, and it seemed as if the more she pushed against him, the harder he tried to win her back over.

Of course, he’d always had her—just not in a way he’d appreciate.

Alex bolted upright when a knock sounded on her door and she sloppily pulled what she hoped was a homework assignment from her backpack.

“Come in,” she called, and Justin poked his head into the room.

“Mom wants to know what you want for dinner,” he said.

“I don’t care,” Alex said. “Just shut the door; I’m busy.”

“Doing your homework?”

Alex nodded.

“Without a pencil?”

_Shit._

“I was getting there,” Alex said. “Finding a pencil is the hard part.”

“Alex, what’s going on with you?” Justin said, fully entering the room. “You’re usually smart enough not to use homework as a cover-up for something. We all know you wait until the last minute on every single assignment.”

“What, I can’t start being a better student?” Alex said. “Mom always says better late than never, but I guess I can keep being a D student for the rest of my life…”

“Okay,” Justin said, “I would totally support you if you actually wanted to do that, but I know you’re not going to.” He paused. “This isn’t about George, is it?”

Alex raised her eyebrows. “Actually…yes. This _is_ about George. I just really thought he was the one, Justin.”

“You barely even know him,” Justin said, sitting on the bed beside Alex. “I know what’s really going on.”

Alex faltered. “You do?”

“Of course I do,” Justin said. “You’re still hurting over Mason. I get it; I just want you to know I’m here for you if you need me.”

“Oh. Um…” Alex paused, briefly considering telling Justin the truth before she snapped out of it. “That’s really sweet of you, Justin. Thanks.”

Justin nodded and clasped his hands on his lap, staring intently at Alex.

“I don’t want to talk about it _now_ , doofus,” she said. “Go help mom in the kitchen or something.”

“Oh,” he said, quickly standing up. “Right. Okay, just let me know when you’re ready,” he said as he left Alex’s room.

Alex groaned and lay back on her bed as soon as Justin closed the door. Too much thinking about her feelings for one day; it was far more exhausting now than it had been before she realized how she really felt.

If only she could find a way to make herself stop thinking about it. If only there were…something magic that could manipulate her emotions…

Alex slipped out of her room and made sure the coast was clear before heading downstairs and into the lair. Seeing as how her parents were amused by her last use of the magic marker, they hadn’t hidden it away like the other magical artifacts she’d gotten a hold of before; it was right where she’d left it.

She glanced back at the door before uncapping the marker and pulling her sleeve up to write a new message.

***

“I just wish there was something more I could do,” Justin said. “She’s been acting so weird; what happened with Mason is obviously still very painful.”

“I thought you said you were going to help me make these enchiladas,” Theresa said.

Justin sat at the counter with his head in his hand while Theresa prepared dinner. He had originally intended to help, yes, but he was far too distracted now.

“I’m just worried about her,” Justin said.

Theresa sighed and set the tortillas down to give him her full attention.

“You know,” she said, “Alex isn’t the only one acting a little different. Do you think you might just be projecting your feelings onto her? You lost someone, too, sweetie. It’s okay if you need to let it out.”

“That’s not the problem,” Justin said. “Well…it’s not the whole problem. Of course I miss Juliet. I loved her…but now that she’s gone, I need to focus on people who are still here.”

“Justin,” Theresa said, “she’s old, not dead. But if this is how you want to cope, then it’s fine by me; I won’t complain about you trying to help your sister. Just don’t push her.”

“I won’t,” Justin agreed.

He didn’t see Alex again until dinner, and she didn’t even glance at him before digging in. It stirred an uneasy feeling in him, and he wasn’t sure why, but he did his best to shrug it off.

As time passed, though, it became apparent that Alex had no plans to acknowledge Justin at all during dinner. Usually she would at least offer some smart remark about his academics, or his interests, or anything else she could poke fun at, but tonight there was just…nothing.

Justin pulled her aside after dinner and asked, “Is everything okay?”

Alex shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” she said. “Why?”

“It just seemed like you were acting weird at dinner,” he said. “Toward me, at least…Did what I said earlier cross a line?”

“You said a few things earlier,” Alex said. “Which one?”

“You know, about me being here for you if you need me.”

“Oh,” Alex said. “No. What line would it cross?”

Justin paused. “I actually don’t know, I guess, but I just…Something feels off. Maybe it’s just me.”

“Guess so,” Alex said. Justin didn’t have time to think of anything else to keep her talking to him before she left to go to her room.

Maybe she’s just having an off day, Justin thought. She’ll probably be back to normal soon.

But days passed, and Alex continued to treat Justin as if…well, as if he were a completely neutral part of her life. There was a time when they were younger that Justin would have loved it, but he’d grown to enjoy Alex’s sense of humor and appreciate their usual back-and-forth banter.

It wasn’t something wrong with Alex, because she was acting normally around everyone else, but Justin couldn’t figure out why she was acting so differently with _him_. Had he done something to upset her so badly she wouldn’t acknowledge him unless he spoke to her, even to make fun of him?

“Alex,” Justin called when he saw her pass by in the hallway at school.

“Oh, hey, Justin,” Alex said. Justin couldn’t read her expression; it looked blank, but she had to be covering something up—some kind of hurt, or hatred, even. It was time he found out what it was.

“Can we talk?” he asked. “Privately, I mean.”

Alex shrugged. “Okay,” she said. “Where?”

“Good question,” Justin said. “Um…here. This works.”

He took her hand and led her into the janitor’s closet. It wasn’t the ideal place to have a serious conversation, but he didn’t want to wait until they got home; it would be harder to find privacy, and who knew if she’d actually talk to him with other people around.

“What do you wanna talk about?” Alex asked as Justin shut the door.

“I want to talk about you,” Justin said. “About what’s been going on with you. And me.”

“There’s nothing going on with me,” Alex said. “What’s going on with you?”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Justin said. “Why are you acting so different around me? I want to know if I did something to upset you. I want to make it right.”

“You haven’t done anything to upset me,” Alex said. “I’m gonna leave now. Me and Harper are going out when we get home.”

Justin almost resigned not to stop her, but when she reached for the door, he caught a glance of a bit of ink where her sleeve rode up.

“Alex, wait,” Justin said. “What’s on your arm?”

Alex paused and looked down. She frowned and pulled her sleeve up to reveal the full message.

“‘Stop loving Justin,’” she read. “What does that mean?”

Justin suddenly became hyperaware of his heartbeat. It was as if something had clicked inside his body, something his mind didn’t quite understand yet.

“It…it means you love me,” he said, “which is good to know; I mean, I have my doubts sometimes. But it also means you…don’t _want_ to love me. It means you want to stop loving me so much you’d use magic to do it.”

“Why would I want to do that?” Alex said. “You’re my family; shouldn’t I want to love you, even if I don’t want to show it?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Justin said. “Wash the marker off and you’ll forget all the brainwashing it’s put you under, but you’ll be back in the mindset you were in when you wrote it. You probably won’t want to tell me why you feel that way.”

“If there’s a reason I wrote it, then I should keep it like this,” Alex said. “I know what’s best for me, and I trust my past self. I’m gonna leave it.”

“Seriously?” Justin said. “Even if it didn’t involve me, you’re losing time. You’re not really yourself right now, and you won’t remember any of this later, anyway. You can’t keep it on forever.”

Alex shrugged. “So?” she said. “Why does it matter to you?”

“You might not care about me right now,” Justin said, “but I care about you.” Justin turned to search the shelves of the closet until he found a container of hand soap. “Will you let me wash it off?” he asked. “I want to fix whatever I did to make you want to use the magic marker for this.”

Alex hesitated, then offered her arm. “Okay,” she said. “I trust you.”

“Thank you, Alex.”

Justin grabbed a rag and squeezed the soap onto Alex’s arm, gently rubbing circles into her skin until the ink began to fade.

He could tell the magical effect was gone when Alex tensed and pulled away from him.

“What are you doing?” she said. “Where are we? Is this the janitor’s closet?”

“You used the magic marker again,” Justin said. “I just washed it off.”

Alex paused. “…What did I write?”

“You—”

“Wait,” Alex said, “never mind. I don’t wanna know. I’ll find out later when it starts coming back to me.”

“Hold on, let me tell you! You said you would explain.”

Justin grabbed Alex’s hand as she turned to open the door and leave. She ripped her hand away from his touch, almost cradling it to her chest before clearing her throat and regaining her composure.

“I said that when I was under the influence,” she said, “so I am under no obligation to stay true to my word.”

Justin sighed. “Why do you only use intelligent words when it’s against me?” he said. “Listen, I know I did something to upset you. I just want to make it right so we can go back to being normal again.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex said.

“You wanted to stop loving me,” Justin said, his voice breaking. “That can’t be for no reason.”

Alex stared at him with her mouth ajar for a long moment before snapping out of it and shaking her head.

“I can’t talk about this,” she said. “I’m going home. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Justin couldn’t stop her when she walked out this time.

***

Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

Alex turned to make sure Justin wasn’t following her as she left the school. He was nowhere in sight, but it didn’t do much to ease the tangled mess her nerves had made of her stomach.

He’d seen her arm. He knew what the magic marker had said, so he must know everything. Why was he acting like he didn’t understand? Did he want her to admit it out loud so he had proof of what a terrible, disgusting person she was?

Or…was it possible he really couldn’t see the meaning behind the words?

It was possible, but unlikely. She didn’t know how she was going to face him later; she hoped he wouldn’t bring it up in front of the rest of their family, but what if he did? Maybe it would be better to come up with a fake explanation and tell him before dinner, something that would satisfy him enough that he wouldn’t mention it again.

Halfway back to the apartment, though, she still didn’t have a clue as to what she could tell him.

She couldn’t go home.

It was a little drastic, but she needed more time, so she altered her route and headed for Jefferson Market Garden. She could hang out there for a while, clear her head, and get some fresh air. Maybe she could think of a spell to get her out of this situation.

The longer she sat on the grass, though, the more she realized there was nothing that could stop this whirlwind of feelings. She had to face her own mess for what it was and hope it wouldn’t totally destroy her life.

When Alex looked at her phone, it was full of unread texts from Justin: “Where are you?” “You said you were going home but Mom and Dad haven’t seen you,” “Please talk to me?” “I’m worried about you.”

She bit her lip and opened the messages to reply to them.

“in jefferson mkt garden,” she typed. “don’t bring anyone else. i’m ready to talk.”

***

Alex was pacing the lawn of the park when Justin showed up. She stopped as soon as she saw him and stood straight, nervously twisting the rings on her fingers as he made her way toward her.

“Hey,” Justin said, “what’s going on?”

“You said you want to fix whatever you did, but you don’t have to,” Alex said. “You didn’t do anything wrong. _I_ need to fix it, but I don’t know how, and I’m afraid telling you is going to ruin our family.”

Justin frowned. “Look, Alex, I know you’re not the greatest sister sometimes, but whatever you did can’t ruin our family.” He paused. “You didn’t make anyone disappear again, did you?”

Alex shook her head, and Justin should feel relieved, but he could see tears brimming in her eyes, and that scared him more than anything. He reached out to wipe a tear that had fallen down her cheek and tried pulled her into a hug, but Alex shrugged away from him.

“Don’t,” she said. “You’re not gonna want to do that in a minute.”

“Why not?” Justin said.

Alex stayed silent for a long moment, battling herself over how to tell him what she’d been keeping bottled up for the past two years. There was no way to say it without it immediately sounding bad.

“I love you,” Alex said eventually.

“I love you, too,” Justin said hesitantly.

“No,” Alex said, “I mean…I love you in a…in a non-family way.”

Justin stood still, and Alex couldn’t work out his thoughts from his expression.

“Can you…elaborate on that?” Justin said.

“I’m not saying it again, Justin,” Alex said. “You know what I mean.”

“You mean you have feelings for me?” Justin said. “Romantic feelings?”

Alex nodded. “Just…please don’t tell anyone else,” she said. “I’m doing everything I can to stop feeling this way, and I promise I’ll get there eventually, but…” She trailed off. It was selfish to ask him to keep this a secret when he must be feeling disgusted himself.

But he did have a habit of taking her by surprise.

“Of course I won’t,” Justin said. “We can’t let anyone know about this. I told you it was going to be okay, and it is; we just…God, how are we going to do this?” He murmured the last part to himself, rubbing the back of his head.

Alex blinked. “How are we going to do what?”

“I think…” Justin paused, searching for his words and trying to be certain before he said anything, but his head was in a fog. “I think I have those feelings for you, too.”

“What?”

Alex felt as if the breath had been pushed out of her, but in a good way, a way she’d never expected to feel.

“Yeah,” Justin said, a smile beginning to appear on his face. “Yeah, I do; I just—I didn’t even know this was possible.”

“You’re actually serious?” Alex said. “Even after everything I’ve done to you?”

“Alex, you’ve done more good for me than bad,” Justin said. “Sure, you tease me, but everything else is worth it. I can always depend on you when it really counts, and we make each other better people. We complete each other.”

“You sound like you’ve been brainwashed,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Listen, Justin, if you’re just saying this because you don’t want me to get mad…”

“I’m not,” Justin said. “I’m serious.”

He took her hands and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as if to convince her of his sincerity. She could feel his hands trembling, like he was afraid he’d mess up the moment, and it was such a _Justin_ thing to do that it solidified the reality in her head.

She took her hands out of his and wrapped her arms around his neck, reaching up on her toes to kiss him. It was a clumsy kiss, but gentle. His lips were softer than she’d expected, and she shivered when his hands came up to rest on her waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Alex stayed on her toes for a second when they parted before falling back onto her heels. Their cheeks were flushed, and they left their hands where they were for a moment longer until they remembered they were in a public park and reluctantly let go of each other.

“Wow,” Justin said.

Alex chuckled. “Wow,” she agreed.

“How are we supposed to keep this a secret?” Justin said. “If anyone finds out…”

“I know,” Alex said. “We’ll have to be careful.” She paused and looked up at Justin. “ _Can_ you be careful?” she asked. “We both know you have an honesty problem.”

“Too much is at risk,” Justin said. “I can keep it between us, I promise.”

Alex nodded. “Okay,” she said. “I trust you.”

“Thank you,” Justin said. “I just…I wish we didn’t have to hide it. How are we supposed to do all the normal-couple things?”

“We’re not a normal couple,” Alex said. “But…in case you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to, I’ll figure out a way. We can sneak kisses when no one’s looking, go on dates places no one will see us. We have magic on our side, too.”

“You really think we can pull it off?” Justin said.

“I know we can,” Alex said. “We’re stronger together than we are apart; we’ve proven that over and over again. We can do this.”

“Okay.” Justin grinned. “I trust you.”


End file.
